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PNS Daily Newscast - May 24, 2019

President Trump's reported to be ready to sign disaster relief bill without money for border security. Also on the Friday rundown: House bills would give millions a path to citizenship; and remembering California’s second-deadliest disaster.

Report: Young NM Parents Need Support to Thrive

A new report says New Mexico's young parents could better thrive with adequate child care, housing and employment opportunities. (yth.org)

September 27, 2018

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Young adult or teenage parents face many of the same challenges as older parents, and a new report examines the significant hurdles that stand in their way without adequate support.

Amber Wallin, deputy director of New Mexico Voices for Children, says the 50-state report shows the national average of young parents is 10 percent, but in New Mexico, it's 16 percent.

"Those young people are facing the same challenges that all young people are facing, things like finishing high school or maybe going into college, getting their first jobs, learning how to manage money and increase their earning potential," she points out.

Her organization, which includes New Mexico Kids Count, maintains one way to improve outcomes for young parent families is to increase home-visiting programs and coaching for first-time parents.

Wallin notes that program reaches only a fraction of needy young parents, because it isn't fully funded by the state.

Rosa Maria Castaneda, a senior associate with the Casey Foundation, says young parents often have limited education and financial resources.

In New Mexico, only 9 percent of parents ages 18 to 24 have an associate degree or higher. She says that makes it difficult to sustain a family in a society that increasingly requires post-secondary education and specialized skills.

"Young parents have less access to these, and they're less able to participate in these programs and not have their education disrupted, because they're having some challenges just meeting some basic needs," she states.